Jtrap...I set BG's the same way you do. I figured out that even at the tightest configuration 3/8ths rebar will fit when making those X's on Belisle 330's. I do it thousands of times every winter.

I set like that also, but I don't use a boat, and while the rebar would probably work great, it is a pain when you have to pack equipment in. Easier to just grab sticks on site if you are packing in, I suspect trapping out of a boat it is easier to just have a pile of rebar in the boat within a couple of steps of the set than to find the right sized sticks.

Bearcat, “No restrictions” was poor wording. Let’s discuss that though if it is pure bs, do you really believe Alabama has more trapping freedom when it comes to conibears than Saskatchewan or heck we could even discuss Idaho where you are. Just because I have to use a certified trap (Bélisle, Bridger Duke etc.) doesn’t automatically make for less freedom. Why would any trapper not want to use a humane and effective body grip trap? I’d lean towards saying there is less freedom in places where that said trap can’t be placed on the ground when a certain size, or whether bait can be involved at a certain size or how close on could be placed to a public road, how often they must be checked etc etc. etc. There are many examples of restrictions or freedoms depending on how you look at it. Just because someone from Alabama thinks people who trap in Canada have no freedom to do so, despite them being unable to use body grips larger than 5” opening on land that have to have a tag on them with name and conservation id doesn’t actually make them then correct.

I have trapping restrictions but I can get rid of them with a bit of work.

The steel tariff , I believe is a separate tariff that will continue at 50 percent. Canadian and Mexico speciel deal at 25 percent.

Boco,
You and I read the same play book. Love it.

Negotiations failed last night and Trump imposed 50% tariffs on several items such as plywood, dairy, alcohol and cars. Steel was not included and remains at it's current 25% rate.

Nothing but crickets regarding the other BG brands coming into the US that are made overseas.

Are you trappers that are using the stiffer 2nd notch in heavy current……or what’s the reason? If it’s for non target catches, there’s ways around that.
It’s pretty rare that I use it, even in a flowing culvert float I’ll usually use the first one, but I don’t fool around with the factory cut notches until they start not getting a good positive engagement with the bar.


In Manitoba, with over 5500 open licences sold, the open area trappers licenses outnumber the registered ones by more than 5:1. The vast majority of trappers here are in the open zones which covers most of the southern 1/3 of the province. Most of the RTL areas are very hard to access, with many open lines. I believe Yukon is mostly RTL stuff, can’t speak for NWT or Nunavut. Saskatchewan looks like about 1/2 the province is open with the northern 1/2 probably similar to Manitoba.

We are regulated as to what kinda of steel we can play with, but I’d say we got some pretty dam good options to choose from. Bad catches, damaged fur, animals slowly dying in a cheap “kill” trap by starvation or freezing is great ammo for the folks you’re constantly fighting. The worst is people on TV shows or DVDs showing this garbage. I’m not naming names, and I don’t know if any are on here, but there’s a few DVDs that I bought that went straight into the garbage can. I wouldn’t even give them away to an up and coming trapper. After seeing some of this stuff, it’s easy to see why you’re in such a fight to keep trapping alive.

I guess it’s not even making the news anymore. Been flipping channel to channel and haven’t heard nothing while dealing with these two clowns…..lol

Nice skunks! But I am even more impressed with how organized your tools are lol.

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/cana...AD&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Did anybody really expect the tariff situation to not end up like this? But tariffs have been dropped against an unspecified nation in order to cheaply import some ground beef. That’s kind is weird considering tariffs apparently don’t affect the cost to the consumer. Make it make sense. Lol

Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of economics know that tariffs affect the prices consumers pay. Trump of course knows it too, but he also knows that if he says that they don't, a large percentage of his base will simply take his word as gospel and then argue on the internet for him that tariffs don't increase costs to consumers..... LOL.

This is so true!! It’s wild that people go on X and cheer about tariffs and believe the claims that other countries pay them. Then those same people are not able to comprehend that is not possible when they also go on X to cheer him on when he drops tariffs on someone to get ground beef to the consumer cheaper. lol

Both things cannot be true , but both are to “the base” lol

Time to play hardball with Tarriff clown in chief.
We have been nice for far too long.

It’s actually borderline hilarious. The greatest trade deal ever negotiated has somehow become the worst trade deal even though the person who called it the greatest ever, after he negotiated it, now says it is terrible. lol

Even antler is now tariffed at 50%. I’d say I felt bad for all the guys that pull their giant enclosed trailers up here to buy antler to feed the craft and dog chew market, but I don’t.

Ok, here’s a bit of reality, as I see it, from a Canadian guy that lives very close to the US border, so close in fact that I retain a US mailbox that I can reach in 12 minutes.

When the whole tarriff thing started i got chased off here by some that really didn’t understand how tarriffs work. Some bought into the koolaid that was being distributed by the jonestown (i.e. washington) crowd.

Maybe I have a unique perspective because I see the direct impact of the policies that are being enacted.

Up until 2024, the price of goods in the US was comparable with those in Canada when the dollar exchange rate was factored in. (As an example, A 10 dollar CDN item was, say, 7 bucks USD). Sure, there were a few items that were more expensive on either side, but overall it was comperable. At that time, many Canadian shoppers took weekly trips to New York to shop because the selection was much better there. Many would stop at a restaurant and grab a nice meal to make a day of it. Personally, i bought trapping equipment from many of the advertisers here. I visited your conventions and dropped some coin when I found something interesting. We had “free trade”. People seemed happy.

Fast forward to today. The price of groceries in New York are once again the same price as Canada - without the currency exchange factored in. So, a 10 CDN item is 10 USD. This means that the cost YOU are paying for YOUR groceries is 40% higher than you would pay in Canada. The few exceptions are dairy, poultry and beer. VERY few Canadians are leaving their money in your country for two reasons. Your prices are too high and your president (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) us off. People on both sides are not happy.
The Tarriffs are not helping you. In fact, here’s the thing:

You’re paying more for things at walmart because the prices are high as stated above. On top of Walmart making extra margin on the goods, since the tarriffs were deemed to be illegal, walmart made a claim to the IRS (or who ever collected the excise tax on import) to get what they paid in import tarriffs back from them (xx billions$) - and got it. So they double dipped and you’re left paying.

I still attend your conventions and love the people and the atmosphere. However, i spend very little money there. (my two vises are night owl and dobbins lures-no disputing their quality and first rate people that operate those companies)

Look, I’m actually a trump supporter and I agree with the majority of his policies. However, in the case of economics he is being misled by his advisors - who are telling him what he wants the hear - to the point where the Canadian PM - who is a moron himself - states that the recent agreement was as good as written in pencil. I.e. No one trusts anything from the US government anymore and the US population - who are by and large fantastic people - are paying the price. This is not good for either population.

In closing I want to clarify that I don’t mean any of this in a mean way. Sorry for the long post - i’ll get off my soapbox now….

Coldsping kidd: carry on.

I'll buy used Belisles....no tariff on them...yet!

Thanks Markster! You basically summed it up how every Canadian I know feels.
I left about $1400 purchasing goods in my last trip……but did no shopping. Tee shirts from the MTA convention, souvenir tee shirts and the bulk of the money was overpaying for a good cause at the F4WM Wolfer Summit. 100% great people everywhere I went

I saw we are back at the tariff war. Was ok long as Canada hit us with huge tariff's for decades but soon we try to level the playing field its all out of line, got it!

As for belisle's being more humane ive caught more beaver by front feet and tails in them than ever in reg. ol BG'ers. So not exactly how they are more 'humane' than any other BG trap. But long as it makes your over seer's happy and they still allow you to use them more power to you.

Darrell, I answered your question about another foreign trap that was hit by tariffs. You didn't want to hear it I guess


As far as dukes go I don't know. I never priced them before and it could very well be they are using up inventory.